Bound by Blood
by Anonymous Psychofan
Summary: When Seras Victoria entered the abandonned apartment building with her master, it was just another 'search and destroy' mission.  But within the lonely brick walls lay something that would change her forever.  Slight AxS
1. Thirst

What would you have done, given the choice? Death? Or something much worse…

At the time, Seras Victoria had been so wrapped up in her fear, the heat of the moment, the look in his crimson, blood thirsty eyes. And he had given her a choice; die… or follow me.

Why she had chosen the latter, she still could not say, and that was after a long year had passed at the Hellsing Agency. Her powers had heightened considerably since he had first turned her. Though she still could not transform, she had managed to master the task of phasing through walls. And drinking blood, which had once repulsed her was now a daily ritual, even a treat.

She sighed, feeling suddenly very hungry indeed. When she returned to her room, there would be a cold packet of medical blood floating a in a bucket of half melted ice. The thought made her lick her lips subconsciously, imagining the rich, coppery taste of it. She wondered how it would taste when it was warm, fresh from the veins of some poor soul, still gushing and- no!

She stopped her thoughts from progressing beyond that. She was not like that. She was not a murderer. She was not her master. And yet…

The thought of feeding on new blood still thrilled her, causing hunger to burn in her body. Hadn't she herself noticed a sinking sense of humanity and a heightened sense of- she could think of no better word for it- desire? When she accompanied her master on missions, she no longer turned her head with disgust at the sight of all the death, much of which was caused by her master himself.

And every so often… her lust for blood overcame her better reason.

She joined him, savagely ripping the heads from ghouls, dismembering, biting, plunging through the rotted flesh until all around her was a sea of dark, sticky blood, barely visable beneath the scarlet glow of her eyes.

Would tonight be such a night? The moon was red and full- the perfect night for feeding. Surely Sir Integra would find some suspicious activity somewhere nearby… fledgling vampires were so easily swayed by a pretty moon and a cloudless sky.

Seras smirked. _But who am I to talk?_ she found herself asking. _I am just a fledgling as well… and to kill tonight… yes, that would be very good._ Realizing what she was thinking, she shook her head rapidly, hoping to dash her inhuman thoughts.

"What am I doing?" she wondered allowed. "Surely I'm not _wishing_ for Sir Integra to send us out tonight… I-I hate k-killing," she stammered, biting her lower lip and then wincing as her fangs broke the skin and caused a small trickle of blood to roll down her chin. She hastily wiped it away with the back of her gloved hand.

_I should have just licked it up,_ she thought, staring at the moist stain on the perfectly white gloves.

"Probably, Police Girl," said a low voice, as black as the night itself.

Seras felt a series of shivers invade her spine as she clumsily spun around to face her master. Tall, ominous, his dark hair swirling around his ivory skin and his blood-red eyes gazing unblinkingly into hers, Alucard was something to be respected and feared.

"M-M-Master," she mumbled, trying to think of something intelligent to say.

"We have a mission tonight, Police Girl," he said, his expression unreadable. "Get your things and meet me in Sir Hellsing's office."

"Y-yes, sir…" she muttered, looking at the floor.

"Oh?" he said with interest. "Why so downcast, my little fledgling? This promises to be a very interesting night."

His long fangs caught the moonlight as he spoke. Seras stared harder at the floorboards. She did not like looking at her master when he was like this. It made her want to be something she was not, something she detested.

She could feel his eyes on her, curious perhaps, maybe angry with her human sentiments. The prickling of her skin made her think that there was more fire than interest in his glare. She phased out of the room, knowing he never looked away from her.

_Do I feel guilty?_ she asked herself as she packed the Harkonnen into it's case along with a large supply of ammunition. She hated it when he was displeased, but at the same time she hated the sick feelings he put into her mind, the feelings of hunger and excitement, the lust for blood.

Shaking her head for what felt like the hundredth time that evening, she hurried to Sir Integra's office phasing through walls and floorboards until she was just outside the door. She knocked tentatively and a women's strong, confident voice replied.

"Enter."

Seras did not bother turning the knob but passed through the door as any of her kind would do and found herself in a vast, elegantly furnished room, lined with bookshelves. Directly in front of her was a desk, and behind it was an expanse of windows.

Seras looked up, her senses peaked. The red moon glistened beyond the glass and panes, calling to her, filling her with hunger.

"Thank you for joining us," Integra said in a disapproving voice. "Perhaps you will favor us with your company when it is asked next time, Seras. Seras? Seras!"

The young vampire slowly broke her gaze with the moon and turned to face the Hellsing heir, a shadow covering half her face. She bowed low in an all too familiar way saying, "Of course, Sir Hellsing."

Integra gave her an uncomfortable, scrutinizing look. Something about Seras Victoria seemed… different, and yet very familiar at the same time.

"Now we just need, Alucard," said Walter matter-of-factly. He stood to Integra's left, his hands clasped behind his back, his monocle glinting in the pale light pouring through the windows.

Seras said nothing. She peered through her long, blonde bangs at the scene outside the window, taking in every perfect detail of the night. Every star swam dimly in the thick, velvety sky, blinking in and out of view as waves of darkness overtook them. And the moon- oh, it was so very red, so, so red. She wondered if she could sink her teeth into it.

"Seras?" Integra said loudly. "Are you listening?"

"Huh?" Something inside Seras seemed to snap as she came crashing back to reality.

"Were you ignoring me, Police Girl?" Integra asked coldly rising from her seat.

"I- no, I wasn't.. I mean… that is…" Seras swallowed hard. What had possessed her?

_Yes, what indeed._

Seras blinked in shock as she suddenly realized that Alucard was in the room with them. When had he come in? How long had she been standing there gazing out the window?

He was leaning against a bookshelf, his coat collar pulled high and his hat covering his eyes, seeming very disinterested in all that was happening.

Integra glared first at Seras and then at Alucard, and then at Seras once more. "I may as well talk to the doorknobs," she said harshly, pressing her hands flat on her desk. "I expect this sort of behavior from Alucard, but you, Seras?" Integra sighed and turned her back to them. Walter stepped forward with the cigar box and a lighter.

"Alucard, did you hear all I said?" Integra asked, having no desire to repeat it herself.

"Yes, my master," he said in his deep, silky voice. Seras shuddered. Why did his words always send chills through her body?

"Then debrief Seras along the way," Integra instructed, releasing a small cloud of smoke as she did so. "And leave quickly. It is already midnight."

"Until later then," said Alucard, with a mock bow. As he stood once more, Seras could see his fangs bared in a horrifying grin. "Come," he said to her, with nothing more than a brief glance in her direction. "There is much to do. Much _fun_ to be had."

"Yes, Master," she said, and with a faint smile curling across her lips, she followed him into the dark hallway and out into the night.


	2. Welcome Darkness

-1The mission was simple, standard, even dull, and yet Seras Victoria reveled in it. To be out on such a night, wandering beneath the swaying trees with her master by her side… She looked up to the sky and felt renewed excitement wash over her.

She thought she heard a dark chuckle issue from the man at her side but when she looked into her master's face it was emotionless.

They walked on in silence. Trees turned to buildings, dirt roads to cobbled streets. The tiny village seemed to spring up out of the ground, or at least it did to Seras. Perhaps she had been too preoccupied with the night sky to notice it approaching.

Alucard stopped dead in the center of the deserted road, as if listening for something. But there was no sound. No voices, no cars. The village appeared deserted. Seras felt her body shiver- was she nervous? Or was this anticipation. Every part of her knew that the scene around her would soon become a battleground.

She opened her mouth slowly, tasting the air. It was ripe with tension.

Alucard evaluated the world around him and then turned and walked up a side street, Seras hurrying along in his wake, her mind racing. Their footsteps echoed along the walls of the alley, their shadows spinning in the moonlight. She watched them dance in the waning moonlight, her eyes wide and interested. And then without warning, she walked into her master's back with a dull thump.

He gave her a brief, disdainful look and then turned away, gazing up the front of the building before them. Seras peered around his side, curious as to what had made him stop so suddenly.

It looked like an ordinary apartment complex, with a brick front and curtained windows, a keypad beside the front entrance that the occupants undoubtedly used to gain access to the building. But something was wrong. A few months ago, Seras would have stood before this very building and thought it to be perfectly normal.

Seras almost laughed at the memory of those days. Her vampiric senses had been buzzing all evening- she was not about to overlook such an obvious swell of dark power and malice. Something demonic lurked within those walls, something that she felt sure would explain the villagers "mysterious" absence.

_Keep quiet. Say nothing aloud._

Seras nodded as her master's command echoed in her thoughts, fingering the trigger of her Harkonnen. They approached the building, slowly, stealthily, taking care to make no sound.

When they reached the brick wall, Seras pressed her hands to it, ready to phase through it. To her shock, the moment she tried to do so, a sharp pain ran though her entire body, forcing her to leap backward, hissing.

Alucard gave her a look that quickly silenced her. _That was unwise, Police Girl, _he said with obvious annoyance. _Even a fledgling should have been able to sense that barrier._

_Then how do we get in, Master?_ she asked silently, ignoring his jibe at her careless behavior.

Even in the faint light, there was no missing Alucard's cruel smile. "The polite thing would be to use the front door, now wouldn't it?"

"Master, why are you speaking aloud?" Seras asked, confused.

"There will be no need for secrecy now that you've alerted them to our presence with that little display of brilliance," he said bluntly.

Seras frowned. She had angered him again and yet for some reason she could feel no remorse. The thought of a head on attack was just too delicious. To think of the destruction she could do.

"Yes, Master," she said, a dangerous smile creeping across her face.

Alucard looked at her for a minute. As ever, he was impossible to read. But Seras was not interested in what he thought of her. The only thing in her mind was the thought of the kill, the blood, the lives, or un-lives, she would end tonight.

Alucard turned to examine the keypad for a moment and then smiled touching his long, gloved fingers to it. For a moment it crackled with energy and then sparked as a tiny whisp of smoke escaped it. Seras heard the lock click. Her blood began to boil eagerly.

_Stand back and wait for my signal,_ Alucard instructed. Seras obeyed silently, pressing herself flat against the wall until the moment was right.

Seeing that she was safely out of the way, Alucard stepped forward and seized the handle and flung the door wide open.

The stream of bullets was instantaneous, blackening the air around Alucard as his body fell to pieces. Seras watched in shock as he crumpled to the ground, seemingly dead.

_But no,_ she reminded herself._ Master cannot die._ And with that thought, she felt the excitement in her rise. The pitiful creatures would swarm out to examine the remains and then it would all end very quickly. Seras felt a surge of admiration for her master. His actions was so perfectly calculated, his techniques flawless.

But what was different this time? Seras sniffed at the air curiously, finding not the stench of rotting flesh but something much more intriguing.

Fresh blood.

_So, the attackers are human,_ she mused, hungrily eyeing the open doorway.

_What? No!_ another part of her mind argued, holding her back._ I mustn't kill humans! It's wrong! Sir Integra wouldn't like it…_

_But it would taste so good!_ she thought, taking a step forward. _Imagine ripping through their bodies, having the blood wash over you, sliding down your throat…_

The men were hurrying from the building now, surrounding the bloody mess where her master once stood, poking bits of flesh with the tips of their guns. She watched as one man backed away from the group and vomited on the ground.

He staggered to the wall, clutching his stomach and looking sick.

_Let master have the rest,_ Seras thought, smiling. _This one's mine._

_I told you to stay hidden, Police Girl._ Alucard's words were deathly calm and dangerous.

_Just a bite, Master? _she asked, licking her lips, eyeing the lone man, now breathing heavily as he leaned against the wall. He was young and tender, probably only recently recruited.

_These are not for feeding, Police Girl,_ Alucard said firmly. _Let them think we are dead. Our qualm is with their master._

That brought Seras to her senses. _Their master? _she asked curiously, her thirst quelling.

_Yes, Police Girl. Their master._


	3. Seras' Task

-1Seras felt her breath catch, her curiosity drawn taught. She waited for her master to elaborate, but as ever, he said nothing. Already the men were retreating into the building, taking his body for dead. A few were talking loudly about clean-up crews.

Seras glared at Alucard's remains, watching them rise eerily and reassemble, the bones fusing together, the blood soaking into the pearly flesh. His silence infuriated her. She had let her prey escape, let the men confidently return unscathed, all in the hopes of hearing the insight her master possessed. It had been for nothing. He had returned to his usual form and was approaching her quickly.

"Come," he said quietly. "We have a short time before they find my body missing."

"Where are we going, Master?" Seras asked, trotting along behind him.

He shushed her impatiently, and led them through the open doors, and into the darkness. Seras listened intently. She could here the men milling about nearby. She could smell there blood in various rooms. She edged hopefully towards the nearest door, only to be grabbed by Alucard.

She hissed angrily as he pulled her through the ceiling, away from her meal.

Another floor. This one was empty but for a single guard who jumped at the sight of them gliding through the floor boards. Alucard had descended upon him in seconds, before the man could so much as raise his gun. Their eyes met. The guard's face took on an empty, dreamy expression as he tottered down the hall, his memory erased.

"Here," Alucard said, taking hold of Seras' wrist and dragging her closer to him. Seras looked up, quivering uncertainly. "We are going to split up," he said firmly. "Do you see that door there?" Seras followed his finger and nodded. "Inside is our target," Alucard continued, seeing that she understood. "I want you to enter and confront him, find out what you can but do not engage him in battle. Understand?"

"But Master, why do I-"

"I said, do you understand?!" he snarled, bearing his fangs at her.

Seras shrank beneath his piercing gaze. "Y-yes, Master," she stuttered, unable to look away from the crimson depths before her.

"Good," he said, throwing down her wrist. Seras clutched it carefully to her body, watching as her master sank into the floor, his eyes still burning into her as a constant reminder of the price for disobedience. She checked the strap that held the Harkonnen to her back, swallowed once and hurried down the hall, stopping before the door Alucard had indicated.

Slowly she reached for the knob. It glittered innocently in the faint light streaming through the hallway's lone window. Her hand met with cold brass and slowly turned until she head the click of the latch and the door creaked open.

"So, you have come to play at last?" said a low voice.

Seras resisted the urge to retreat, stepping closer to the source of sound. Silhouetted against the window was a man, tall and thin with eyes as red as hers.

He looked her over curiously. "I had expected a visit from the great, Alucard, but instead I get a pretty, little thing like you… lucky me. Pray tell, what is your name, Girl?"

"What is yours?" she asked, mustering all the courage she could.

"And why would I tell you that?" he inquired, running a long finger beneath his chin.

"It's polite to introduce yourself before you ask your guest to," Seras pointed out, fighting to keep her body from trembling.

The man nodded curtly. "Right you are, little one. Perhaps we will have to skip the introductions for now. Would you care for a drink? Or have you already satiated you thirst with my men?"

"Is that why you employ humans?" Seras asked with disgust. "As bait to distract any who attack?"

"Well, it is an advantage, though not the reason behind my actions," he said, sitting lazily into a nearby chair. "Please, won't you be seated?" He gestured to the chair opposite him.

Seras sat; if she was to get any information out of the man, she would have to humor him.

"The villagers?" she asked.

He raised a thin, delicate eyebrow.

"Foolish question," she admitted, crossing her legs and settling back into the chair. She felt strangely comfortable in the room.

"So," he began conversationally, leaning towards her. "You were sent by Hellsing? I did not know they had employed more than one vampire. Pray tell, how did they manage to capture you?"

"My master serves them," she said. Why didn't she lie? Something about the man compelled her to tell the truth.

"Well, well," he said, his eyes lighting up. "Alucard's fledgling. Oh, this is a treat!"

"For you, maybe," she said distantly, stifling a yawn. "He's not very nice to me."

"No?" the man asked. "Well, how dreadful. How did you meet?"

Seras laughed dreamily. "It was really funny. There was a- um, what do you call them?"

"Vampire?" he prompted.

Seras let her head slide onto her shoulder. "Yes, that's the word. Wanted to kill me. Master shot him and shot me too."

"Alucard shot you?"

Seras nodded. "It's a funny name, isn't it? Alucard… yeah, he shot me. And then he asked if I wanted to join him. He said I was going to die. I guess I was scared… or maybe I thought it sounded fun. Silly. Very silly." Seras could sense her grip on reality slipping away. Why? What was this overwhelming feeling? Like being slowly suffocated…

"You're doing something to me," she observed, breathing heavily. "I can't lie and I'm not quite sure I'm in control of my actions. I feel… tired…"

"Must we always ruin these things with accusations?" he asked, sighing dramatically. "I am rather surprised that it took you so long to notice. I expected more from Alucard's fledgling."

Seras smiled pleasantly. Nothing seemed to phase her all of a sudden. "So what you brings you to this lonely little village?" she asked, blinking contentedly.

"I took some needed time off from work… for my health, of course."

"Quite understandable," Seras agreed, her eyelids drooping. "What is your profession?"

"Tracking." He smiled, gazing into her eyes.

"How interesting," Seras said. Why was she so sleepy? She had to keep the conversation going. "What is it you track?"

"Missing persons," he said.

Something was very wrong. The world seemed to be melting before her eyes.

"Ah, yes, you seem to be falling asleep," he went on. "Perhaps it is time we parted? I had not expected you to have such a low tolerance for magic."

"Is that what you call th-this feeling?" Seras asked dreamily. "It's quite nice actually… you should try it some time…."

"Not necessary, little one."

Seras watched his blurred form dance merrily before her eyes.

"It was lovely to meet you," she said yawning and sinking to the floor.

"You as well," he assured her. "You as well."

And everything went black.


	4. A Vampire's Worth

-1_I failed._

_I failed._

_Nothing else matters._

_I failed._

Seras refused to make the journey from the deeper corners of sleep, knowing the cruel reality that waited for her. She had failed her mission. She had failed her master. She didn't deserve to be associated with his name. The taunts that had washed over her during the mission came to sting her now, when she was lying in such a state of misery.

_Even a fledgling should have been able to sense that barrier._

_I expected more from Alucard's fledgling._

Seras rolled over in her sleep, fighting back tears.

_Tears._

She smiled weakly. At least she could be happy about one thing. Whatever it was that had made her so thirsty for blood had passed on. The red moon was gone- she was free from it's pull… for now anyway.

And suddenly she was very thankful that her master had kept her from devouring those men. Their deaths would have made her present guilt intolerable. It was hard enough without being responsible for murder.

_Master, thank you,_ she thought, burying her head into the soft velvet lining of her coffin.

Suddenly, Seras looked up, blinking. She was in her coffin, but… how had she gotten there? She hastily threw off the lid and glanced around. How had she gotten back to Hellsing Manor?

Seras racked her brain. What did she remember about the mission? Master, blood, a man… yes the man.. Or whatever he was. He must have been a vampire she thought, remembering his red eyes. But her senses had been so dulled by that room. Everything felt like a quickly fading dream. That was surely what he had wanted. She had to remember any details she could.

His name? He had not told her that. His business in the village? His answer was nonsense. The location of the villagers? They were dead, but she had guessed as much herself. So what had she learned? What had been the point of the whole mission? Had it been a complete failure?

No. She remembered something. He was a tracker. He found missing persons. How many of those were there in England? That had to be an identifying feature…

Seras began to wonder. Would she know him if she saw him? Probably not. She had been too affected by the magic he used on her. All she could remember was his eyes, so like her own.

"Master…?" she whispered tentatively to the air.

_Yes, Police Girl?_ he responded lazily.

"C-could you come here for a minute?"

Her request was met by silence. Seras thought she felt something rip inside her. He never had time for her. She had questions, she needed answers, but he didn't care enough to bother with her.

"Fine!" she snapped. "'Cause I know you're so busy and all! I can tell you're in Hellsing Manor. So I know you're not on a mission and you say yourself that you don't much sleep! So what is it you're doing that's so much more important than keep your fledgling from losing her mind?"

"Ah, I see you're feeling better, Miss Victoria."

Seras spun around in surprise. "Oh, Walter…" She felt the blood rush to her cheeks. He had surely heard her little tirade.

"Master Alucard said you were awake and probably hungry, so I brought you some food." He set a bucket of ice with a blood pack in it on the table.

"Thank you, Walter," Seras said, sighing. "Um, I don't suppose you know anything about the mission, do you…?"

"I'm afraid not," Walter said apologetically, adjusting his monocle. "Master Alucard appeared in Integra's office about two days ago, saying you were unconscious and he'd placed you in your coffin. I watched him force-feed you a couple of times in your sleep, but I was not present for his report to Sir Integra, so I do not know the outcome of the mission."

"Have I really been asleep for two days?" Seras asked.

"According to Master Alucard, he apparently asked more of than you could handle," Walter explained. "But I am sure you did a splendid job with any task he gave you."

Seras felt her blush deepen, feeling miserable. Her master had asked her such a simple task and she had failed him. And Walter, so confident that she would eventually succeed, made the feelings of shame all the worse.

"Thank you, Walter," she said quietly, trying not to look too depressed.

He bowed. "Until later, Miss Victoria."

And Seras suddenly found herself feeling very, very alone.

"Master," she said weakly, her lips trembling. "Please… I need you…"

"Then you are weaker than I thought," said a cold voice behind her. She felt no need to turn to face him. His smooth words continued to echo around the room. "Any fledgling of mine is more than capable of coping with such trivial problems on their own."

"Yes, Master," Seras agreed, nodding her head. "Just answer me one thing, Master. If it's true that I have powerful blood in my veins, and that I have the potential to be a true Nosferatu, then why do I continue to fail? Why am I so weak when I should be so strong?"

"You wasted your one question on that?" Alucard asked, laughing softly. "I would have thought even you would be able to answer such a question on your own. You fail because you let yourself fail, because you have no desire to succeed."

"But I _do_ try to succeed!" Seras protested, turning to face him. "I try hard! I don't want you to have to be ashamed of me!"

"Police Girl, I'm curious," Alucard said, sitting down in the wooden chair and leaning back, his feet propped up on the table, "did it ever occur to you that succeeding for my sake is not enough motivation to accomplish a difficult task?"

"But it is," Seras said, a little hesitantly. "When you're not mad at me, I don't feel so bad."

"And that is why you accomplish things? So you "don't feel so bad"?"

His smirk was cruel and pitiless.

Seras, turned her head slightly, looking away from him. "Give me another chance, Master. Give me a task- any task! I won't fail you this time."

"You never failed me the first time," he said, removing his hat and flipping it in his hands.

"Please, Master?" Seras said desperately. "Please! I'll do anything!"

Alucard studied her for a moment, apparently debating her wish in his mind. Then he shrugged, replaced the hat on his head, and smiled a very wicked smile. "Very well, Police Girl. I will give you a task. If you succeed, it will prove your worth as a vampire."

Seras took a step back, gazing at the frightening look on his face. _Oh, God, what have I gotten myself into this time?_ she thought, suddenly wishing she had never made such a request.


	5. For Me

-1The night was young and the city streets were alive with laughter and music. The smells of food filled the air. Seras Victoria frowned, eying the "pleasant" scene around her. How on earth was she supposed to find someone in a place like this? The scents that wafted along the hot air were all infused together, and the flashing of car and stop lights made her feel confused and stupid. This was no atmosphere for a vampire.

_No!_ Seras told herself firmly. _I must not fail! Master gave me the task… I won't disappoint him!_

She thought hard, trying to see a way around her present dilema. What would her master say, had he been there? What advice could he have given her?

_Probably something obscure and useless,_ Seras thought bitterly. _A riddle to add to my already unbearable confusion!_

Wait! Maybe that was the answer! A riddle! They had been in such situations before and he had presented incomprehensible instructions to her on those occasions… if she could only remember what he had said…

_The air was thick with the smell of blood. No matter where she turned, Seras could see and feel nothing but death. The room was dark, her eyes were clouded. Seras found herself backing into a corner. Where was he master?_

_She slumped to the floor, clutching her knees to her chest and trying to block out the horrendous sea of bodies that lay before her._

Master,_ she thought weakly, tears seeping down her cheeks. _Master, what have I done?

So, you have finally felt the first effects of bloodlust, _his voice said with amusement._

Master, what should I do? _she asked, breathing deeply and trying to stifle her misery._

Complete the mission, _he said simply. _It's a pathetic, little creature, lurking somewhere in the basement with you.

But Master!_ Seras protested. _Master I can't see anything! I can't smell! Everywhere I look there's blood and flesh and nothing more! _She felt the tears returning._

Forever held back by your inability to be creative, to think beyond what you know? _he asked. She heard the disdain in his voice. _You have more senses than sight and smell, Police Girl. Use them!

_Seras felt her body quiver. She tried to stand, feeling along the walls. The room was silent but for her short, quick breaths. If she could see, feel, hear and smell nothing, what remained? Taste? She tentatively slid her tongue between her teeth, licking at the air. Blood and death. Blood and death._

Master, I can't do this!_ she screamed inside her head._

_There was silence and then a gunshot sounded so close that it made her shout with fright. She watch as the body of a young, sadistic looking man fell to the ground at her feet, his crimson eyes blank and empty, a large silver bullet imbedded in his forehead._

_Alucard stepped from shadows, rolling the body slightly with his booted foot to ensure that it was dead. Satisfied, he smiled darkly and returned the Jackal to the inner pocket of his coat._

"_M-Master," Seras whispered, looking up in awe._

"_You waited too long, Police Girl," he said with disappointment. "If I hadn't interfered, he probably would have attacked you."_

"_But Master, how did you know where he was?" she asked in awe._

_He raised his eyebrows at her question. "How do I always know where you are ?" he asked in return, grabbing her hand and pulling her through the walls and out into the moon light._

Seras opened her eyes, pondering the final question he had left her with that night. "How do I always know where you are?" she said aloud, and a few passersby shot her uncomfortable looks.

Was it their blood that bound them? No, that made no sense. How had her master identified the strange vampire in the basement. They had never shared blood, at least not that she was aware of. Then what else could it be. What else defined a vampire? What made her different from her master, from all the pathetic creatures she'd encountered, from every undead being walking the earth?

Her eyes widened as the answer seemed to slam into her face. _Of course,_ she thought, smiling excitedly. _That's what he's been trying to tell me. It's our _**powers**_ that make us different, our "magic."_

And she had seen her target's magic, touched it, been surrounded by it. She knew what to look for; she knew the feel of him.

Forgetting to be discreet, she bounded up to the rooftop of the nearest building, ignoring the gasps of passing couples and running catlike along the skyline as her senses scanned the passing world for any trace of him. Her vampiric mind was kicking in, overpowering the human one she has struggled so long to preserve. And for once, she did not stop it. She gave herself over to the creeping darkness in her body, allowing herself to be consumed by malice and thirst.

The change was astounding. Her powers heightened almost instantly as she began to see her surroundings through an entirely different light. Her eyes searched the horizon for her prize; a barrier, an excess of dark power, abnormal shadows… anything would be enough to lead her in the right direction.

And as she moved, she felt her body transform. Her fangs were lengthening, her eyes burning deeper and deeper, stretching down to the depths of hell. She was running on all fours, dark hair covering her body. There was a sharp pain across each of her shoulder blades, and from it she could feel something growing. What had she become?

With a final bound, she pushed off from a concrete roof with all her might, and felt herself collide with the night sky. The darkness enveloped her as she soared through the icy air, the currents catching beneath her black, silky wings and taking her higher and higher into the murky heavens.

Seras was in ecstasy as she glided far above the city, free and alive. She had never successfully tapped into her powers without being overcome with hunger or fear. Remembering her task, she looked at the winking lights below her, knowing before she did so that it was pointless. Her target was not in the city. He was many miles away, much farther than they had anticipated.

But distance meant nothing to the fledgling monster as she blended with the darkness around her and disappeared into a wave of black smoke, reappearing at her desired location, where the stench of him was so strong and overwhelming, she was certain there could be not doubt of his presence. She landed on the soft earth beside an innocent looking country farmhouse, returning to her usual form.

Something evil seemed to radiate from the place, just as it had on her last mission with her master. This was him. The man who had mocked her, enchanted her, forced her to reveal things she had always kept secret. She was going to kill him. There was no doubt about it. But not before she had some fun…

_Master,_ she thought, smiling maliciously. _I've found the him. He's in northern Scotland in a little farmhouse._

_Good, _her master replied, actually sounding pleased. _Now hurry home before you get caught and ruin another operation._

_No._

_What? _Alucard asked, his interest peaked. _You completed the task I assigned you._

_Yes, _Seras agreed darkly. _I found him for you._ She took a step nearer to the building, her fangs glinting. _But I'm going to kill him for me._

And as she continued to walk towards the building, the moon began to glow the color of blood, washing her with red light as she reached for the door.


	6. Answers

-1"Alucard?" Integra said sharply, noting how he suddenly stiffened. "Has she succeeded?"

"Yes," he said simply.

"Then she's on her way back?"

"No."

"What do you mean 'no'?!" Integra demanded slamming her fist down on the desk. "When I agreed to this, my instructions were explicitly clear! Find the location and return without making contact! You let her confront him?"

"_Let_ her?" Alucard repeated, eyeing his master. "She's doing this of her own accord. Because she _wants_ to. It has nothing to do with me."

"I don't give a damn if she _'wants'_ to do this," Integra roared. "You tell her to get back here right now!"

"She severed the link," Alucard replied thoughtfully. "She won't let me contact her, and she's blocking her location. I cannot go to her, even if I wanted to."

"You're saying that you _don't _want to find her and bring her safely back?" Integra inquired, trying to calm herself. "She is your fledgling, isn't she?"

"Yes," Alucard said, smiling insanely. "My fledgling. Who'd have thought, Police Girl? Who'd have thought…"

Seras walked down the long shadowy hall, lined with pictures of the family who owned the little Scottish farm house… until recently, that is…

She grimaced imagining their fate. It would make revenge all the sweeter. Her feet seemed to be leading her of their own accord, through a door into a tiny white washed kitchen and then into a sitting room. They carried her up the old wooden staircase and down the upstairs hall, past several rooms until there was only one door remaining- the one dead ahead. Her hand extended, reaching for the knob.

He was waiting for her. She could sense his emotions; anticipation, amusement, and confidience. He knew he was in control of this meeting, as did she. But why? Why was she so willing to submit to him?

The door slowly swung open, revealing what might once have been a pleasant bedroom. Now, it was a gruesome scene. The elderly couple who owned the farmhouse lay sprawled across the ground, their blood glistening in the red moonlight that was streaming through the white lace curtains.

Seras resisted the urge to vomit. She was not disgusted by the sight of gore (being none other than Alucards's fledgling) but rather by the action. To kill two old people, who were so defenseless and not even good to eat… they didn't even give sport!

She raised her eyes slowly from the ground, fighting to keep herself from attacking the man who sat so innocently in the chair by the window, smiling serenely at her, his crimson eyes merciless. She needed answers first.

"So wonderful to see you again," she said sarcastically, walking towards him and sitting on the edge of the bed. "Got tired of killing villagers and decided to move on to the elderly? Good news! They just opened a retirement home about a few miles east of here, so if you get bored with the country life, you'll have somewhere to go."

He chuckled, eyeing her curiously. "My, my. Someone seems a little bitter from our last encounter. But I thought you liked being enchanted?"

"Oh yes, the thrill of my life," Seras replied, shifting uncomfortably.

"You seem different this time," he mused, his eyes lazily traveling up and down her body.

Seras ignored him. Of course she was different. Something within her had snapped. She felt no fear or worry, no confusion or helplessness. She felt strong and capable, for the first time ever in her "life" as a vampire.

"I want answers," she told him earnestly, leaning a little closer. "I want to know why you do these things. It can't be just for fun…"

"Few things are," he admitted with a very familiar dramatic air.

"Will you tell me your name?" she asked.

"No."

"Are you going to try to attack me?"

"Maybe."

Seras sized him up, wondering how powerful he was. He had erected a powerful barrier and hypnotized her without her knowing until it was too late. He was not as strong as Master, but her certainly wasn't weak. She may die in this battle.

"I see," he said, smiling. "You are that determined to kill me? Then I will have no choice but to destroy you. Of course, I always planned to eventually. You decided the date when you came here."

"If I must die, can I at least die enlightened?" she said quickly.

"Yes, I suppose that's a reasonable request. Alright, I'll agree to answer three questions before we step outside and I claim your life."

Seras knew her first question instantly. "Why do you employ humans?" she asked.

"Because they are most accessible to me," he replied. "Not all of us can bind vampires to us like Hellsing can."

A light flicked on in her head as she looked at him. He wasn't a vampire after all…

"What sort of being are you and how did you come to be that way?" she asked, studying him carefully.

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, but that's cheating, little one," he exclaimed, smiling like a madman. "At least it seems you've finally figured out something… very well, I'll answer them both. I suppose they go hand in hand, don't they?

"Well, let's see… where to begin? I suppose, I should start with you. When I saw you a week ago… I didn't recognize you. But once you told me Alucard was your master, things could not have been more perfect!

"As I've already told you, I specialize in the tracking of missing persons. As it turns out, you were not as alone in the world as you thought before that night in chedder village. You had an uncle, who had been watching you from afar, and had even included you in his will. When you "died" he wanted to have the body so that you could be placed in the family graveyard- but there was no body, was there? So he quickly hired me to find any sort of "piece of you". A necklace, a dogtag… he wasn't picky. But what I found was something so much more! I found, that you were still alive! In a sense… to appease your uncle, I picked up a bloody scrap of your uniform and sent it to him in the mail. I kept another piece for myself, though at the time I couldn't say why…

"That was a long year ago. In the time between now and then, I began obsessing over the existence of vampires, and you were my link. I carried the bloody piece of your uniform with me everywhere, searching for the answers. I followed rumors, hushed up reports… they all led back to an agency called "Hellsing". I began investigating this agency. It was hard to find much about it. I ended up catching a soldier and getting him drunk and then bullying the answers out of him. If he remembered the incident, I'm sure he was too afraid to mention it to the "legendary" Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, the supposed great great granddaughter of Van Hellsing himself.

"I was overjoyed. I had found everything I needed. And now I just need a plan to draw Hellsing out, to give myself the chance to meet the one called Alucard. Incidently, have you ever noticed that his name spelled backwards is Dracula?"

Seras shrugged. Of course she'd noticed it. Who hadn't? She was steadily growing more annoyed with the man before her. He treated her master like an object, a freak to be examined in a test tube.

"And then," he went on, smiling insanely. "Everything changed. Your uniform that I still carried with me… on a whim, I wondered what the blood of another tasted like. I placed it in my mouth and sucked on the blood.

"Tell me, Seras. Have you ever wondered what happens when a human drinks the blood of a vampire?"


	7. I Will Not Die

-1For a long time, neither Seras nor the mysterious man said anything. They stared into each others eyes, crimson clashing with crimson, Seras waiting for his answer. He smiled curiously, amused by her intent glare.

"I take it you don't know then?" he asked, feigning surprise. "It's true few humans have ever attempted such a thing. Even if we put aside the fact that vampire blood is extremely rare, to commit such a _sin_, you would have to be… _twisted_." His features stretched with the word, his eyes widened and his tongue uttered it almost lovingly.

"At first, I admit, it repulsed me. The taste stung and made me want to retch. But within a few hours of the first taste, I would find myself craving more. In minutes I had sucked that crumpled, bloody piece of uniform until it was as bright as the day you put it on. But it wasn't enough. I needed more blood. More _vampire_ blood. I found myself listening to radio scans for any unusual activities, searching for anything that would satiate my hunger.

"And one by one, I found them, and slaughtered them, downing their blood like it was my life-force. When I initially began to hunt them, I found myself in very sticky situations. But I learned. I became adept at killing such creatures. Perhaps I was even as good as the great Van Hellsing. And the more I killed, the stronger I became.

"I slowly became aware of some curious abilities that I began to possess. "Magic," as some might call it. I could create barriers, lift heavy things, teleport and erase memories. But the one ability that fascinated me the most was the control I had over my victims. After only one taste of them, I knew everything about them, and further more, I could bend them to my will. I had some fun making vampires rip their own hearts out for a while, but even that dulled with time.

"I was still hungry, still very hungry. I killed and killed, but the thirst never stopped. So finally, I came to this conclusion. The one who can end my hunger is none other than the one who instigated it. Yes, my dear Seras. That means you."

Seras narrowed her eyes, staring at the man with disgust. _Forget the third question,_ she thought bitterly. _I'm going to kill this bastard now! _In a second, she was on her feet, lunging for his throat with her lengthened fingernails. She reached for the soft flesh, knowing no human emotion could hold her back this time. This man was a monster. It was only fitting that he die a monstrous death.

"Ah, ah, ah, little one," he said wagging a finger. Seras felt as if some invisible force had wrapped around her body, stopping her when she was only inches from ending his life. "It's not polite to attack your host, is it?"

He smiled cruelly, reaching out and taking her outstretched hand in his. His fingers brushed against hers and then moved across her palm, resting on her upturned wrist, where her veins were prominent. He made a tsking noise, examining the way the blood throbbed so obviously beneath the shallow skin.

"My dear, you seem tense," he observed, running a long white finger up and down the pale skin of her forearm.

Seras meant to sarcastically reply "I can't imagine why," but her body still seemed unwilling to move of it's own accord.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said innocently. "Did you have something to say?"

Seras fought to keep her thoughts closed, to keep her mind blocked, but she knew it was futile. She could feel him probing her memories and her emotions as though they had been laid before him on a lab bench.

"I've been controlling you for a long time, now, Seras, ensuring that you would always find me," he told her, smiling insanely. "Not that I had to do much tonight. You were so intent on revenge, or did you just want to impress your master? It's a difficult thing to do, isn't it? It truly is surprising that such a weak vampire was sired by the infamous Alucard. Does it pain you to know how greatly you disgrace his name?"

_Master…_ Seras thought weakly, feeling her blood turn to ice. _I promised him. I told him I would succeed. He'll be so disappointed with me._

_Police Girl…_ his voice said suddenly,_ I'm curious, did it ever occur to you that succeeding for my sake is not enough motivation to accomplish a difficult task?_

_Master!_ Seras thought in shock. She must have reopened their connection when her thoughts called out to them. _Master, where are you? Are you here? I need you!_

There was no response.

_I see,_ Seras thought to herself, smiling sadly._ This is _my_ task. It is mine alone to complete. And if I cannot even do that, then I am not worthy to call myself a vampire. I won't fail this time! I _will_ be recognized! And if I cannot succeed, I'll die trying._

With that final thought in her head, Seras found the courage to look up into his dark, ready eyes. She fought against whatever it was the held her back, reaching for his throat with all her might.

"It's no use," he said, laughing at her attempts. "We are bound by blood."

Seras pushed harder, concentrating on reaching him, on killing him, on feeling his hot blood between her fingers. And as she thought of the blood, she felt the vampire in her awaken, not the pathetic, timid fledgling, but a strong and independent vampire who refused to be the toy of such scum.

The shadows in the room grew, dancing with the crimson moonlight on the floor until all around them was an inferno of shadow and blood, lapping at the their bodies as it swirled around.

_I don't need to be able to move to defeat trash like you!_ she thought viciously, feeling the power within her rise. She saw the arrogant, comfortable look leave his eyes as fear took it's place. He was out of his element; he did not know how to stop this.

And for a moment, just the briefest moment, his control slipped, and Seras lunged with all her might digging her claws into his flesh. Had he not realized what was happening, he would have died then and there. But he moved ever so slightly and her nails connected with the skin of his shoulder, ripping a whole through the bone until his left arm was completely useless.

He quickly restrained her movements again, but it was too late. The blood was seeping down his body, mixing with that of his earlier victims where they still lay dead upon the floor.

"It seems I have left you alive for too long," he spat, clutching the gaping wound with his good hand. "Time to end it!"

The silver knife seemed to have sprung to his hand of it's own accord, glinting darkly in the red glow around it. Seras smiled. She was not going to die here, not when she had come so far and done so much. She was tired of being weak, tired of being the one everybody had to save. She saw him coming at her, prepared to thrust the blade into her heart, and only one thought crossed through her mind.

_I will not die._

The shadows around them exploded, knocking him off his feet and into a wall. Blood spurted from his mouth as the impact hit him and he slumped to the floor. Seras felt his control release her. She stood triumphantly over his weak and trembling body, eying him with loathing. Reaching down, she grabbed him by his shirt collar and dragged him from the floor, glaring into his eyes.

"Time for my third question," she said, smiling darkly, her breath right on his face. "Are you ready to die?"

His eyes held nothing but fear as he looked upon the beast before him, soaked in his own blood and staring at him with hunger in her eyes.

The shadows swelled. Her fangs lengthened. And the pathetic, broken man, who had once thought himself so strong, felt the life leave his body, and made the final journey into the blazing depths of Hell.


	8. Epiloque

-1Alucard stood leaning against the wall, his sunglasses twirling between his fingers, watching as the moon slowly turned from a deep red to a pale, innocent shade of white. He smiled slightly, showing a glimmer of fangs. He glanced back to the door of the little farm house, waiting for it to open, and then frowned, wondering what was taking his fledgling so long.

She had succeeded in her mission. He had watched the battle through her eyes, watched as she embraced her vampiric nature without losing "Seras Victoria" and defeated the pathetic excuse for a monster that had controlled and mocked her. Yes, she was certainly growing stronger, he thought, returning the sunglasses to his eyes as he heard the door creak open.

He watched as his fledgling emerged from the shadowy hall, her head upright and alert, her eyes still glowing faintly from the battle. Her clothes were stained with the blood of her enemy, and over her shoulders she carried two bodies.

Alucard clapped his hands slowly, causing her to look around with surprise.

"Master!" she exclaimed, walking towards him. "You were here the whole time?"

Alucard, laughed softly, looking down at her. "You didn't _really_ think I'd abandoned you, did you?" he asked in cold amusement.

Seras sighed. "I suppose not," she admitted. "You never have, now that I think about it. But then why didn't you help me? I almost died, I-"

"Did you?" he asked, cutting across her words.

Seras stared up at him, blinking. "I- No, of course, I didn't! To be killed by such a…" she trailed off, glaring at him as he laughed at her. "Master, I don't understand-," she began, but he cut her off again.

"No, Police Girl, I think for the first time, you _do _understand," he interrupted, looking intently into her reddened eyes. "You finally know what it means to be a midian. I'll admit, you were so late in understanding that I'd almost given up on you."

"Master?" she asked, tilting her head to one side as though she still could not comprehend his meaning.

Alucard sighed and shook his head. "Never mind, Police Girl. Let's go home."

"But, Master, what should I do about…"

He looked at her; she was indicating the bodies she held over either shoulder.

"Why did you bring them out of the house?" he asked, wondering at her stupidity.

"I-I-" she stuttered. "I just couldn't leave them with that man. They did nothing and he killed them. They don't deserve to even be in his presence."

Alucard looked her over. She was such a contradiction. How could anything so pure and innocent kill so mercilessly?

"Leave them here," he instructed, turning his back to her. "Hellsing will take care of it when they come by to clean up this mess."

"Yes, Master," she agreed, laying the brutally murdered couple on the cool, summer grass, and folding there hands across their chests.

Alucard couldn't help watching her as she carried out this tender action. He resisted the urge to yell at her for such "human" behavior. It seemed that as much as she understood, she still had much to learn.

"Come, Police Girl. It's time to go."

"Yes, Master," she said, rising from her knees, and hurrying towards him.

_But,_ he thought as he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against him, w_e will have more than enough time to take care of that. After all, an eternity together is a very long time._

And, grinning slightly, he stepped threw a shadowy portal that would take him and his victorious fledgling home once more… at least until next time.


End file.
